Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 152

Arizonans flock to Flagstaff's festival EDITIONS Phoenix, Sunday, Aug. 8, 1969 The Arizona Republic M4 By JEANNE TRO WILLIAMS There are concerts, drama, ballet, classic film showings enough to whet anyone's cultural palate at Flagstaff's Summer Festival. In fact. "I've had enough culture to last until 1980," a bemused gallery-goer was overheard to say during opening rites last weekend. "I know," said her friend, "and the music hasn't even started The moveable feast began July 24, iasts through Aug.

10 except for the five art exhibits in all media. The Flagstaff Art Barn offers a special exhibit of famed Southwest artist Jimmie Swinnerton. He's 93 this year. His wife, who signs her paintings Gretchen Parshall, was there opening The "Dealer's Choice" showing is dedicated to greatly-mourned Tom E. Pollock.

Pollock, rancher and strong supporter of regional art, died last year. It's an international loan exhibition at the Northern Arizona University Art Gallery, under the direction of Jon H. Hopkins. Hopkins is one of the busier festival Workers. He co-hosted a cocktail party with Flagstaff's Michael Purcells, sleeps the Art Barn nights to protect the valuable Swinnerton collection.

At Northland Press Gallery that's Paul Weaver's prestigous publishing company there's a one-man show by Helen Metzger Shackelford. She's Mrs. James Shackelford of Phoenix and one of the West's strongest depictors-in-oil of our land and people. NAU's Student Art Center is brilliant with the Arizona Water Color Association's exhibit. The 21st Annual Navajo Craftsman Show is at the Museum of Northern Arizona, magnetizing admirers of splendid tribal works.

There were devotees from everywhere to admire the lavish display of 'talents during the openings; but along with the proper respectful attitudes there was plenty of time for fun, Mrs. Shackelford's opening was part of the joy. She was born in Flagstaff, is a daughter of the ranching Metzgers. So she asked local Mexican American friends to help with festivities. "We had a big Indian basket full of corn chips." she said.

"Lots of fiery hot sauce. Guacamole. Chili con quezo tons of shrimp and vats of punch." Her longtime friends, the Donald Squires of Phoenix, made the trek. It was Mrs. Squire's birthday.

"About halfway through the opening," said Mrs. Shackelford, "Mrs. Lloyd Kunde came marching in with two of the biggest Fourth-of-July sparklers I've ever seen. They were about 30 inches long, threaded with three tired doughnuts for a birthday cake. "It was pretty impressive when about 300 people sang 'Happy and Mrs.

Squire blushed. "Then we couldn't get the sparklers out. Some hardy soul took them to the parking lot and stamped them out in the rain." The Squires and Kundes weren't the only Valley people to brave the rainy roads to Flag. There were the H. S.

Antrim Jrs. and the H. S. Antrims III, Dr. and Mrs.

John Vaughn, Dr. and Mrs. Charles J. Mehlum. John S.

Armstrong III, the Pxichard Snells, John Connor, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Pennington, Mr. and Mrs. Louis McClennon, Carlos Elmer, the Harry Rosenzweigs.

"Mrs. Walter Lucking bombed up in a raincoat and a Mercedes," said Mrs. Shackelford. "And Mr. and Mrs.

Thomas Moore- he's principal of Rose Lane school- promised to ride their motorcycles all the way. They did, though it came rain and high water." Mrs. Floyd J. Tester of Yuma. she's the newly-named executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Humanities, was on hand.

And the Clay Lockells of Flagstaff. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Beeler (he's one of the nation's outstanding cowboy artists), of course festival director Dr. Pat B.

Curry and his wife, Mrs. Paul Babbit, and the James Coughlins, Yarnell ranchers and sturdy art-supporters. Mrs. Frances Heifitz was part of the musical contingent. Tulsa art-collector Eugene Atkins came in a buying mood.

Nationally-known scientists were part of the appreciative scene, including Dr. Otto Franz, astronomer of the Flagstaff Observatory. And Dr. Vincent Schaeffer, atmospheric scientist of the State University of New York at Albany, who's presently at the Museum of Northern Arizona Research Center. There was even a strong link to Apollo 11.

The Raymond Batsons are Flag summer residents. He's with NASA, taught our moon-landing astronauts how to use those complex cameras. "And there I stood with my Brownie Astigmatic," said Mrs. Shackelford. But she's skilled with other types of pictures.

To date 12 of her paintings have sold from the showing. She's proudest of her oil, "Two Horses," which was bought for the permanent collection of Northern Arizona University. Paul Weaver, Dr. Otto Franz, Mrs, James G. Shackelford and Dr.

Vincent Schaeffer Arlist John Hamilton, Mrs. John W. Stilly festival hoard president Andrew L. Wolf and Dr. Eldon A.

Ardrey Poetess Marilyn Francis, Jon Hopkins and Fred Sleight Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chambers, Mrs. Frances Heifets, Also at Flagstaff Gretchen Parshall Sivinnerlon, Dr. Pat Curry Melody lingers on earth, but not on moon flurry Rownsu'ttig, Cluy Loi-kett, Mrs, By THOMAS GOLDTHWA1TE Republic Entertainment Writer FLAGSTAFF Moonlight and music are old friends from way back, and here at the Flagstaff Summer Festival where many of the music and art patrons are resident astronomers and geologists, the talk at art previews and concert intermissions fre- quently turns to the advent of lunar geology.

I've already met one P.I. (principal investigator) from New York who is among the task force of some 150 experts assigned by the space agency to examine Apollo 11 specimens. He is "in hiding from the press," so no names, but he has loaned his name to a letter from the museum of Northern Arizona requesting a sample of moon rock for its permanent collection. There will be, I learn, some 30 pounds available for distribution throughout the nation's museums, and the scientists at Lowell Observatory and the museum feel fairly entitled to a shovel full, the inevitable presidential paperweight excluded. Even among the resident musicians here one finds, extraordinary interest in the moon.

Perhaps the strangest revelations come from violinist Erick Friedman, guest recitalist in last Friday's NAU auditorium. Friedman is teaching master classes here and will conduct the senior high school honors orchestra at the conclusion of summer camp. He's a popular figure with students and a terror to interview. He loves gags and his prominent native New Jersey accent lends itself to a slandup comedy routine. But it isn't the gags that boggle the interviewer, rather Friedman's great interest in physics and recently the iirion.

"There is no sound on the moon, you know," he said at lunch. "If Neil Armstrong had experimented with a violin he would have felt vibrations in his hands but he wouldn't have heard anything. Eagle was probably the only silent blast-off in history. That's why maybe we should have had a microphone up there, to hear nothing. No air friction on the moon.

"I feel it even here at an altitude of 7,000 feet. The air gets thinner and my ear senses it. It doesn't affect pitch but I can feel the difference in resonance in my Strad. Air friction has affected our artistic lives more than we realize. How many great artists have come from high, hot tropical countries?" That gives Giro pause.

Sluggish air, sluggish music? No need then for Sleinway lo start shipping pianos to the moon where there's no air at all, then? ''There can't be moon music," Friedman said. "Besides sound waves would behave differently up there than he-re," and he feR into a whirlwind discussion of relativity. But the future of earth music is in doubt, too, "Electronic music has no fascination for me," Friedman said. "It doesn't move me. I require music that's written with maturity, that has something to say.

People always prefer something simple, ideas they are familiar with, like love and romance. And that in western music has always been melody. "Serial music (12-tone) is rather limited. It's like the moon and the planets. It's the only area unexplored, I think something completely different will replace any music we're hearing today.

The tima will come when the violin will be a museum piece." If Beethoven were living today, Friedman asserts, he would be writing serial music but it would be great music nevertheless. We need great composers today. That's why music flourished in the past. There were great men composing music. Beethoven could have as well been a great painter.

"It's the man that counts." Friedman's travels no doubt inspire much contemplation. He carries a heavy load. He will be a guest artist this season when the Phoenix Symphony tours for a month with Die Indianapolis Symphony, has engagements in Germany, Austria, Italy and France, formidable South American tqur lined up next year. His recital Friday included Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms. No loney tunes,.